The invention relates to a wheel cover for covering the rim of a vehicle wheel, including a carrier plate featuring a bearing hub connected to the rim, the rim in turn being attached to a wheel axle by means of wheel bolts; a ball bearing attached to the bearing hub, on the outer ring of which is fixed a mounting element that supports a wheel cover disc; and an eccentric weight connected to the wheel cover disc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,354 A describes a wheel cover which, by means of a clasp-shaped fastener clamped between the wheel bolts and the wheel rim, supports a wheel hub element on which a wheel cover disc with a fixed-assembly weight is rotatably mounted. The entire construction is characterized by positive (locking) fasteners.
DE 298 14 332 U1 describes an aluminum non-rotating wheel cap with a special fastening device and battery-powered illumination. A fastener plate is clamped between the wheel bolts and wheel rim and supports a wheel hub on which an aluminum cap with a screwed-on weight is rotatably mounted.
DE 197 58 093 A1 describes a rotatably mounted emblem in the center of the rim that runs with a rigidly attached weight in an anti-freeze/water mixture.
DE 2 415 972 A1 describes a rotatably mounted wheel cover installed directly on a fixed axle. In addition to the installation directly on the axle journal of a wheel, a fixed-assembly eccentric weight is used here as well to achieve the stabilization in a horizontally aligned position.
WO 98-54005 A1 describes a wheel cover that uses a rotatably mounted weight to keep a section of the wheel cover in a horizontally aligned position. This invention is assembled using a radial pattern of clamp bolts on the inner perimeter of a rim.
GB 2 337 233 A describes a setup in which the horizontal alignment of the uncoupled wheel cap is achieved using a weight rigidly attached to the wheel cover disc. Mounting the wheel cover disc along with the weight in a sealed liquid bath is recommended.
EP 0 982 154 A2 describes a non-rotating wheel cap with generator-powered illumination from the rear of the wheel cover disc and a ventilation duct to allow the air stream to pass behind the wheel cover disc. Here too, the eccentric weight is rigidly attached to the wheel cover disc or carrier plate, and a clasp-like fastening clip on the rim is used for installation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,342 A represents a wheel cover disc that is clamped in place on the outer edge of a rim and accommodates a centered, ball-bearing carrier plate for an eccentrically placed weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,293 describes a wheel cover disc characterized by a fixed-assembly eccentric weight and a liquid dampening of mercury or a similar fluid. The rotatable mounting is achieved by means of a hub element on which a ball bearing rests. The hub element is attached to a fixed wheel cap by a center bolt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,989 describes several solutions for a non-rotating wheel cover disc. All variations feature a hub element that is either clamped in place on the rim edge or is bolted in place using holes drilled into the wheel rim for this purpose. Here too, the wheel cover disc is forced into a horizontal position by a ball bearing and a fixed-assembly weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,715 describes a non-rotating wheel cover disc featuring a carrier plate with a hub element through which, using a ball bearing, the wheel cover disc is forced into a horizontal position by a fixed weight. The carrier plate in this embodiment is installed in a centered recess behind the rim. The distinguishing feature of this assembly is that the carrier plate is pinched between the rim and the axle section or, in a second variation, is connected directly to the axle journal.
WO 00/09347 describes a non-rotating sealed wheel cap whose distinction is that the weight for horizontal alignment of the wheel cover disc is not directly attached, but can indirectly swing freely by means of a single-joint pendulum. Varying moments of inertia between the wheel cover disc and the weight thus effect a dampened excursion when accelerating or braking.
DE 41 01 726 A1 describes a wheel cap for trucks which is attached by means of a supporting and locking device to a ball bearing, which in turn is attached to a wheel hub axle. Here too, the carrier plate is installed between the wheel nuts and the rim. The weight for stabilizing the wheel cover disc is also rigidly attached to the wheel cover disc, but can shift radially when centrifugal forces cause a forced coupled rotation, thereby disengaging from the ball bearing and thus from the wheel rim as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,933 describes a clamping device for wheel bolt heads that is clamped tightly over the wheel bolt heads using an axially placed clamping bolt. This detachable connection is used for attaching non-skid devices for vehicle wheels in ice and snow.
The documents cited show that the hub elements, ball bearing and the wheel cover discs installed on them are all prior art. The current state of the art is the installation of the carrier plate between the wheel bolts and the rim or between the rim and the axle. The state of the art also includes the installation of weights with the wheel cover disc.
The problem that exists here is that unilateral unbalanced centrifugal forces occur during a forced coupled rotation of the wheel cover with the rim. The isolation of the wheel cover disc from the ball bearing or the pivoted unilateral mounting of the weight alone is not sufficient to solve the problem, since the wheel cover disc or the weight itself can undergo forced coupled rotation with the rim. The state of the art is also the installation of a mounting plate for non-skid devices, irrespective of the construction of the rim, by affixing a clamping mechanism over the wheel bolt heads.